Automatic cooking apparatus



Feb. 22, 1927. J. T. GRADY AUTOMATIC COOKING APPARATUS Filed July 23,1925 2 ShetS-Sheet l www "Hm i lI I A l VENTU? Feb. 22 1927.

J. T. GRADY AUTOMATIC COOKING APPARATUS Filed July'zz. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2' Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

JAMES nfenAnY, or wANoiaAssA, NEW JERSEY, Assreuon E ONE-mman r.ro HENRYs'rEimE, or NEW Yomr, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC cooxme APPARATUS.

Application filed July 23, 1925. Serial No. 45,455.

The present invention relates generali to apparatus for cookingfoodstuffs an is more especially directedr to a device in which thelfoodstuds are cooked by'automatically 6 feeding them through radiatedheat waves produced electrically or otherwise.

In cooking various foodstuffs, such as sausages, rankfurters, meatcakes, common'- ly known as'hamburger steaks, and the like,

10 in restaurants, roadside stands and similarly exposed places, ithasheretofore been the practice to employ a grid or plate heated by gasor other fuel, upon which the foodstuffs are placed and moved about orturned 15 from time to time, until properly cooked.

These types of apparatus are extremely objectionable from a sanitarypoint as there is no satisfactory method lof protecting the food fromcontamination while in process 2,0 of cooking. This is especially truewhere the articles are exposed to dust and the like as in roadsidestands and similar laces where frankfurters, sausages and similar n nieklunch foods are generally dispensed.

n some instances a glass enclosure has been provided, but owing to thenecessity for frequent attention on the part of the attendant in reasingthe plate and turning the articles While cooking, one side of theenclosure re- B0 mains open so that the latter is of little or no valuevas a sanitary measure. Furthermore, the operation of the presentdevices requires constant su erv'ision by the attendant in vorder toproper y prepare the food items for consumption, therebyadding to thegeneral cost of maintenance of the establishment where the articles aresold.

The general Aobject of the present invention is to rovide an economicaland eiicient 40 method o? automatically cooking articles of food byradiated heat generated electrically .or otherwise, which is especiallyapplicable to the requirements of roadside stands. restaurants and other.publiceating rplaces where the contents are more. or less exposed tocontamination. l More specifically, my invention com rehends anapparatus for cooking frank urters, sausa es, meat cakes and similararti-k cles of foo by means of automatically feeding or passing thefoodstuff through radiated heat waves, generated electr1cally orotherwise, within an enclosure or housing .ment of the structure shownin Fi whereby suchfoodstuis are completely protected againstcontamination by dust or the like during the cookin process, theattention of the attendant icing required only when supplying 'the rawor uncooked food to the apparatus and removing it when Vbroiled orcooked.

Itis also an object of my invention to insure 'absolutely sanitaryconditions within the apparatus during the cooking operation and at thesame time render the food articles constantly observable by theattendant and the public, this-end being attainedby utilizing anenclosure oftransparen't material, the elements of which maybe readilydisassembled to ali'ord access to the components of the apparatus forcleaning and ad]ustment.

My invention further contemplates a cooking apparatus of the characterset forth which is designed to be substituted for the present forms ofrid or plate stoves andwill overcome the obJections thereto ina simpleand eiiicient manner.

Other objects and advantages i'lowin from the practicing of myinvention, wild present themselves as the description roceeds, and Iwould have it expressly un ;erstood that I reserve unto myself allrights to the full range of equivalentabotli in structure and in use, towhich I may be entitled under my invention in its broadest aspect'.

For the purposes of the present disclosure,

I have elected to illustrate and describe a preferred embodiment of myinvention. My invention however, may take other forms without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof, as defined bythe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an apparatus made in accordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view on the line w-a of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectionalelevation of a frag- Figure 4 is a top plan viewo aecradle or rack within which the fo'od is carried as itr is fedthrough the heat waves;

Figures 5 and 6 are details on the lines b-b and c-c respectively of Fire 4, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of a. mo 'fied form of rack or cradle.

Beferringnow to the drawings in detail,

in which like characters of reference are emplo ed to designate similararts in the several7 views, 7 indicates the ase of the apparatus, whichmay be of any preferred configuration and of any desired material, such,for instance, as sheet metal.

Supported u on the base 7, adjacent to the opposite ends t ereof arestandards 8 and 9 which may be of flat stock with inturned flanges 8 and9 at their lower ends, by means of which they may be bolted, welded orotherwise rigidly fixed to the base, the said standards being laterallybraced by the tie rods 10 which may be threaded into suitable aperturestherein or otherwise secured thereto.

Journaled in suitable bearings provided in the standards 8 and 9adjacent to the top and bottom thereof, are the shafts 1l and l2, eachof which is provided with a pair of sprocket Wheels 11a, 1b and 12 and12", keyed or otherwise fixed to the respective shafts, adjacent theirends, as shown in Figure l.

The lower shaft l2, it will be observed, protrudes through the standard9 and carries a gear wheel or pinion 13 iii-mesh with the worm 14 keyedor pinned to the perpendicular shaft l5. This latter shaft is journaledwithin a bearing 16 located in an opening provided in the top of thebase 7 and carries' a gear Wheel 17 at its lower end which isin meshwith a pinion 18 fixed to the armature shaft of the motor 19, bolted orotherwise supported from the underside of the top of the base 7, asindicated at 19,

` The ahned sprockets il and 12a and 11b and 12b on the respectiveshafts 11 and l2 are connected by the chains 20 and 2l, it being obviousthat both of these shafts are driven by the motor i9 through thetransmission gearing described.

Located at redetermined intervals on the inner faces cip the chains 20and 21 are the oppositely disposed pins or lugs 22 and 23 which may befixed to the split links of the chains in any suitable manner, or whichmay be readily provided by connecting the split links to the block linksat the desired intervals by pins which will be of a sutlicient len th to4function as hereinafter described.

rojecting inwardly from the opposite faces of the standards 8 and 9 andcentrally positioned thereon, are channel members 24 and 25, Withinwhich the relatively fiat heating units 26 are mounted and secured in saced relation in any suitable manner. In t e present embodiment of myinvention, the units 26 are of the type generally employed in generatingheat electrically and consist of wire of the proper gage wound or coiledupon sheets of mica, the said units being connectable to a suitablesource of energy by means of a base plug or the likeconnected to theleads extending from the units to the base of the apparatus, asindicated at 27 in Figure 3. The functioning of the heating -un1ts 26may be controlled exteriorly of the apparatus, at a point remotetherefrom, or, by means of switches 28, 29 and 30 mounted in the base7as shown in Figure l.

Suspended from the pins or lugs 22 and 23 are cradles or racks 3l forthe articles of food. These cradles or racks may be of any suitableconfiguration to elliciently perform their function. In the presentshowing, the aforesaid racks or cradles `are designed to carryfrankfurters, sausages or similar elongated articles and it will beobserved that they are likewise elongated with a slight lon gitudinalcurvature, conforming generally to the shape of the articles which theyare adapted to carry.

The shallow troughlilre cradles or racks have pairs of upstanding earsor projections on each side thereof, intermediate their ends, asindicated at 32 and 33, between which the food articles are retainedwhen placed upon the rack or cradle. For mounting the cradles or racksupon the pins or lugs 22 and 23, the extremities of the tapered portions3l thereof, are struck up to provide an eye 34 at one end and a hook 35at the other, whereby the cradles or racks may be quickly attached to ordetached from the traveling chains, between which. they are supported.(See Figures l to 6 inclusive.)

In the modified form of cradle or rack shown in F igure 7, it will beobserved that additional oppositely disposed ears or upwardly projectingsurfaces 36 and 37 are provided between the intermediate or bodyportionof the cradle or rack and the ends thereof. These projections 36 and 37serve as retainers for other food articles, such as meat cakes, slicesof bread or the like which may be cooked or heated simultaneously Withthe articles held between the surfaces 32 and 33, as hereinafterdescribed.

4The heating elements and the associated conveyor mechanism justdescribed, are contained Within a protecting enclosure having a top 38,preferably of metal, which is supported upon the angle uprights 39, 40and 4l and the channel upright 42, located at the respective corners ofthe top of the base 7. Suitable angle pieces 43, 44 and 45 areassociated with the uprights 39, 40 and 41 to form channels Within whichpanels 46, 47 and 48 of transparent material such as glass, mayn beremovably positioned to form the front and sides of the enclosure, itbeing apparent that the channel u right 42 is adapted to receive oneedge o the panel 47 and also function as a rigid support for the door 49which is hinged thereto as shown at 50. This door preferably consists ofa metal frame having a transparent panel mounted therein.

The top 38 is connected to the base 7 by llO the tie bolts 51, oneateach corner, it being obvious that by disconnecting the top from thebase, the panels of the enclosure may be readily Aremoved to affordaccess to the conveyor mechanism for cleaning or adjusting the same. Onthe other hand, when the enclosure is assembled, it will be evident thatby closing the door which is provided with a suitable latch 52, thearticles offood within the racks or cradles are completely housed andprotected from contamination'by dust germs or the like.

In the operation of the apparatus, it will be manifest that as thechains 20 and 2l traverse the sprockets on the driven and idler shafts12 and 11, the food lracks or. cradles 31, which are rotatable on thelugs or pins 22 and 23 will be maintained in a vertical plane as theymake their cycles through the heat waves radiated by the heat-y ingelements. The. articles of food are almost wholly directlyL exposedtothe heat waves, those portions which are in contact with the surfacesof the cradles or racks receiving` the heat transmitted by the metal Sothat the food is thoroughly and (plickly cooked, the cooking beingexpedited y the fact that it is done inl the heated atmosphere of thesubstantiall air-tight container or enclosure. A. suita le pan orreceptacle 53 is located beneath the conveyor to receive the fooddrippings, which may be removed as frequentl as necessary to preserve asanitary con ition.

If desired, the heating elements may be arranged to provide so-calledgraduated heats, in which event the lowermost element will preferablyoperate at the highest temperature, the maximum temperatures of theintermedia-te and topmost elements being stepped down accordingly toattain the required results, in cooking slowly or-in preventing unduecooling of articles already cooked.

From the foregoing', it will be seen that I have evolved an apparatuswhich is simple specific formshown, it will and economical 1n operationand which meets the most stringent sanitary tests in the handling offoodstuffs. While I have described my invention with reference to the beevident that in lieu of electrical current, gas, coal oil or othersuitable fuel may be used for enerat- ,ing the, necessary heat, it beingun erstood that my invention broadlyl contemplates an ap aratus 'forattaining t e objects hereinbe ore set forth, irrespective of suchchanges in structural details as may be found necessary or v desirableto' meet specific requirements. 'i

I claim:

1. An automatic cooking apparatus comprising a base, a heating elementvertically isposed and centrally located on said base, a. pair ofshafts, each provided with sprockets adjacent. its respective ends,supported from said base, said shafts being arranged respectively aboveand below said heating element, means for positively driving one of saidshafts, chains in spaced relation traveling upon said sprocketsand foodcontainers swingably supported fromv and between saidchains, whereb thepath of travel of said containers will around said spectively' arrangedabove and below saidA' ,heating element, means for positively drivingone of said shafts, chains in spaced rela. tion to each other travelingupon said sprockets and elongated food containers detachably connectedto said chains for rotation therebetween, said containers moving in apath ff around said heatin element, whereby all parts ofthe foodarticles therein retained will be directly exposed to the waves radiatedby said element.

3. An automatic cooking apparatus, embodying a vertically disposed heatgenerating element, rotatable means supported in planes above and belowsaid element, food carriers, laterally spaced endless flexible devicesadapted to traverse said rotatable means, said food carriers beingswingably .supported between said spaced devices, and means foractuating said devices to convey said food carriers around Said heatgenerating element.

4. An automatic cooking apparatus comprising a base, a -pair of shaftssupported rom said base in verticall spaced relation, a verticalidisposed heat e ement located between sai shafts, food carriers, andmeans traveling upon said shafts for su porting `said food'carriers,whereby said ood (aring means.

A6'. -An automatically operating apparatus for cooking frankfurters,sausages and smila-rly constituted articles of food, compris4 ing abase, a. pair of vertically spaced shafts sulpported therefrom, lateral]1be connect1ons between sai carriers of a configuration conformingspaced ilexsubstantialh7 to the shape of the food articles swingablysuspended between said flexible connections, a verticall i disposed heatgenerating element locate between said shafts shafts, food JAMES T.GRADY.

